Last week in Munich, Audi presented the new R18 e-tron quattro (hybrid) that will make its debut in competition at the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps WEC, but also the conventional diesel engined R18 Ultra. Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich, Head of Audi Sport gives some explanation of the new programme.

Dr. Ullrich, for the first time, a racing car Audi is equipped with more than just an internal combustion engine. Are we at the dawn of a new era?

"It’s clear that here at Audi Sport we are dealing with a completely new subject: the electrification of the drive, an issue in which our colleagues from production are also totally absorbed. In this respect a new era has in fact started - and as always Audi is involved as pioneer from day one and, as a result, is trendsetter."

The last time the Audi brand has appeared at Le Mans with two different concepts, it was in 1999. At that time, it was a question primarily of body but today it is the transmission. Why have you decided to align two types of cars on the grid in 2012?

"Quite simply, the TDI engine invented by Audi is still the most efficient drive in the world. We’ve also proved this at Le Mans since 2006. It’s not a coincidence that turbo diesel engines are unbeaten there for six years now, even though the diesel cars were repeatedly limited. We are convinced that the TDI has even more potential. This is why Audi not only supports the hybrid in motorsport and production, but in parallel also the further development of the conventional drive. The combination of TDI and hybrid is, however, without doubt particularly interesting and very promising. This is exactly what the new Audi R18 e-tron quattro stands for."

R18 The e-tron quattro is only at the very beginning of its development. In your opinion, what is the potential for energy recovery?

"The potential is certainly very big, since the entire subject of hybrid is still in its infancy. There are many obstacles, the weight of an energy storage system suitable for mass production for example. At the moment we still benefit enormously from the groundwork done by our colleagues in the production advance development, who have been studying the subject for a little longer. However, in this case I also think that motorsport can accelerate development of a new technology. Over the last few months many good ideas have already emerged, which we want to implement in the future."

Motor racing has never been an end in itself for Audi, but still served as the technical development of its product line. What contribution can the R18 e-tron quattro make?

"Audi has always consciously selected championships and categories in racing that have a close relationship to production and therefore have technical relevance for Audi customers. quattro, TFSI and TDI are three excellent examples of how motor sport has stimulated production development. A similar tendency is apparent with the e-tron quattro: we test a completely new technology on the race track before it’s introduced to the Audi production line. Efficiency and lightweight design and construction are particularly important in motor sport. It’s exactly this aspect of a hybrid vehicle that provides so much development potential, where one or the other point could possibly be exploited a tic faster due to our Le Mans involvement."

Progress must also be welcomed - and from those who draft the regulations. What chances and risks does the current classification of the R18 e-tron contain?

"The ACO and FIA are faced with a very difficult task here. The more different technologies there are in the game the more difficult it becomes to correlate them all. The biggest problem is that the Audi and Peugeot diesel cars were in a class of their own over the last few years - and not just because the TDI is the world’s most efficient engine, but also because no other competitor developed an LMP1 car with a gasoline engine to a similar level of detail and know-how. For this reason the diesel was trimmed again for the 2012 season, so that from our point of view the diesel is now at a real disadvantage on paper. We are, however, prepared to face this challenge and are convinced that the ACO and FIA will make the right decisions for the future. As far as the hybrid issue is concerned we can easily assess the pros and cons through our two-pronged approach, since the base of the R18 ultra and R18 e-tron quattro really is identical. The hybrid system alone makes the difference. The ACO and FIA will receive particularly meaningful data from us."

The Audi R18 e-tron quattro will face the Toyota TS 030 HYBRID this year in the FIA World Endurance Championship. The energy recovery technology unveiled by Porsche in GT endurance has made its entry into the premier class. Will the R18 e-tron quattro share the success of its ancestors R8, R10, R15 and R18 by winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans? We will find out on June 17th at 3pm.

Cecile Bonardel (Source:Audi Sport press release)

Photo: Munich (Bavaria, Germany), Audi TRAINING CENTER, Wednesday, February 29th, 2012. Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich, Head of Audi Sport, presents the new Audi R18 e-tron quattro.